The Times of India                       22.02.2013

'Dera followers cleaning up Chandigarh would harm interests'

CHANDIGARH: Taking up a petition filed against move of the municipal corporation allowing followers of controversial Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh to clean Chandigarh, the Punjab and Haryana high court, on Thursday, summoned record from Chandigarh municipal corporation.

Orders were passed by a division bench headed by Chief Justice A K Sikri in the wake of a petition filed by an organization "Lawyers for Human Rights International (LHRI)". The petitioner had claimed that a proposal seeking permission of more than one lakh followers of the dera head was with the mayor. Further hearing in the case would be on February 27.

The petitioner had submitted that since Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and his followers are being tried at the Panchkula court for rape and murder charges, MC's move will harm interest of justice and will have an adverse effect on a fair trial. The petitioner had also submitted details of various cases in which dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been involved. It was also stated that a sadhu, Hans Raj Chauhan, who was a follower of Dera Sacha Saudha, alleged castration by the dera head and his medical report, conducted by Government Multi-speciality Hospital, Sector 16, had confirmed the same.